Different as Night and Day
by Friendlybrarian
Summary: Two-shot. When they were children, Trunks saved Goten's life in an uncharacteristically selfless way. Ten years later, Goten can't keep that event off his mind, and he's come to think of Trunks in a new, less innocent way.
1. Night Terrors

_Night Terrors_

Goten felt paralysis freeze his entire body. His eyes soon started to burn, because he couldn't even blink. He could only watch as a deadly beam was charged up, with a sinister purpose.

"H-hey!" Trunks watched the proceedings with eyes as wide as Goten's. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like? Defeating Kakarot in the only way he _can_ be defeated," the stern-looking stranger succinctly explained. He smirked as he looked at Goten's vulnerable form, frozen in place. He would strike at the family of the soft-hearted Saiyan. Their deaths were the only way to break Kakarot's morale and spirit, the only way to make him give up his will to live. The only way to kill him. There was a part of him that was sorry for the collateral damage, but that part wasn't enough to prevent him from doing it.

Trunks glared at the man. He didn't know who this creep was, or how Goku had managed to make this particular enemy, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the intense concentration of energy balled up in his hands and aimed right at his friend. He felt rage building inside him. He was a dam ready to burst. "Your fight is with Goku! Go take it up with him! Or are you so weak you have to murder a kid?"

"Trunks, just go, it'll be okay," Goten pleaded.

Trunks looked at Goten's face and saw no anger, blame, or fear. Not fear for himself, anyway, fear that he should rightfully have. Even now, all he was thinking about was Trunks's safety. He wasn't even wasting the energy giving this enemy a second thought. Despite his irritation that Goten had even for one moment expected him to just abandon him here, Trunks was glad that Goten wasn't afraid. Trunks was terrified enough for the both of them.

It was funny now, how Goten, the sillier and less aggressive of the duo, was the one helping Trunks to be brave. Yet, wasn't that the way it had always been? Content to sit on the sidelines and let Trunks take the glory, Goten had always been Trunks's source of support. Though Trunks prided himself on knowing much more academically and street smart-wise than the innocent boy, Goten's perception and compassion for people was stronger and arguably more valuable. Goten came from a poor family, but he always seemed happy at home. Trunks had all the money and power one could ask for, but he stayed at Goten's more often than not because of all the love there that just didn't exist in his home. Money was just paper, and even being a prince, as opposed to Goten's low-class rank—even _that_ didn't matter. Goten was still the better friend, the stronger warrior, the superior one. Trunks knew that now. He'd always known it, even if he didn't always treat Goten like he did. He'd always put on airs of superiority, partly because it was what his father had expected of him, partly because it was the only way to manage in his household, but mostly out of insecurity. Out of being afraid of how Goten would react to realizing how much better he really was than Trunks. How he didn't need Trunks…it was the other way around.

That was what it always came down to. Trunks was ruled by fear. Goten wasn't. Goten didn't have to be. He had the most beautiful soul a person could have. Trunks was a coward, and he knew it. He was scared of dying, scared of this whole situation, but he couldn't hesitate, because the man with the vendetta certainly wasn't as he launched his thick beam and it cut through the air. He realized in that moment, as the reality of Goten's imminent death solidified, that the thing he was afraid of most in the world was losing Goten. And so, as always, Goten helped him shed his fears of pain, of death.

He flung himself into the path of the beam, holding his arms out to his sides to completely shield Goten's slightly smaller body, leaving his own defenseless. He could vaguely hear Goten's screaming and sobbing his name, again and again, and he wanted to turn and comfort him, but the unimaginable pain searing through his chest made it hard to concentrate on anything else. He felt his ribs breaking and collapsing in shattered fragments on his deflating lungs, tearing easily through flesh and muscle to mince his beating heart.

Unbelievably, it wasn't stopping there. Trunks panicked as he felt the blast ripping through him—_through_ him, all the way! It was going to go through his back, killing Goten after all. He'd failed to protect him, only made it so they'd both die. Ironic, like some sort of bizarre _Romeo and Juliet._ He felt the hot energy beginning to crack his spine and burst through his back. It was just as well; at least he wouldn't have to live in a world without Goten now, but it was hard not to feel bitter. _No, no, no…_

Out of crazy desperation, Trunks got an idea. He had to at least try it. Even though he could feel his energy depleting, even though he was in the most intense agony he'd ever been in, even though he was eight years old and it should have been impossible, he reached inside himself and unleashed the Super Saiyan transformation. In the middle of being speared by the beam, his hair slowly flickered from its normal purple to mystical gold, his pained eyes staring defiantly at his murderer fading from blue to teal. _And!_ His skin became just a smidge tougher. Just enough that he was able to contain the blast within his body alone.

Mercifully, the beam ended, and Trunks fell to his knees as if he'd been held up by an invisible string and the puppetmaster had dropped the controls. He gagged and choked on his own blood.

It was a horrible feeling. The only consolation was Goten's arms around him, lying him horizontally. He felt Goten's hot tears on his face, his words barely comprehensible. Trunks hated to see his friend cry, but he had to admit even now that the sensation of those drops wasn't the worst last thing to feel.

"T-trunks, w-why did you do that?" Goten was hiccupping, asking it over and over.

Trunks smirked, but he was too tired to reply. It was such a useless question; how could Goten not know? He felt his damaged heart stutter, and as his vision began to fade, he noticed that Goku and his own father had arrived on the scene, no doubt alerted by the insanely-fluctuating ki signatures. Well, that was all right. Now he knew Goten would be safe. Maybe that was all his body had been waiting for, to give out entirely…

* * *

Goten sat up with a start. His body was covered in a sheen of cold sweat, which always happened when he had that dream—memory. He felt the strain of his trousers against his crotch and grimaced. That too was typical, and confusing. It wasn't that the memory itself was arousing to Goten, certainly not. In fact, now that he was remembering it fully, awake and rational, the image of Trunks's bleeding, battered body, crushed torso, unseeing, glazed eyes, effectively made Goten's hard-on shrivel up and disappear.

It was just that, sometimes he'd been unsure of Trunks's affections. Sometimes he was still unsure, but then he'd remember that, remember what Trunks had sacrificed for him. He supposed that was why he felt safe and protected whenever he was with Trunks now. Why he felt so important. He loved feeling that way. He loved…

_Stop. Stop right there._

But deep down, Goten couldn't stop. He pulled the covers up to his chin. Even though it was the middle of the night, he was too disturbed to go one second longer without hearing Trunks's voice. He seized the phone on his bedside table and punched in the number.

It was the fifth ring before Trunks picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Trunks! You were awake?"

"No."

Even the groggy, short-tempered grumble was enough to reassure Goten. Trunks was alive. He was there when Goten called. Goten felt his body relaxing.

"Something up?" Trunks ventured, stifling a yawn.

Goten decided to go with a half-truth. "I just really wanted to talk to you." After a pause, he decided to confess, "I was thinking about the time you got killed again."

Trunks laughed. "That was a _long_ time ago, and I got wished back hours later."

"You never answered me." Goten hadn't realized he was going to ask, and he nervously licked his dry lips. "Why you did that." A bunch of unrelated thoughts flitted through his mind—how Trunks never had a girlfriend, and how absurdly glad Goten was of that fact.

"I had to," Trunks said. Simply. As if it was simple. But it wasn't! Goten felt himself pouting.

"That's not the sort of thing you do for someone who's just a friend to you, is it?" Goten blurted out. He turned red immediately. What had possessed him to say that? He knew as soon as he questioned it and glared down at the offending body part.

Trunks was quiet for a moment. Then he answered. "No. I don't suppose it is."

_Wait. Did that mean?_ Goten's heart stuttered. He was a dam ready to burst.

"Let's talk about it in the morning. And no more nightmares, all right?"

Goten promised, and he was as good as his word. For the rest of the night, he had only sweet dreams, even if they were a little wet.


	2. Fearless Days

_Fearless Days_

As Trunks's body lost all tension in his arms and the light in those bright blue eyes dulled, Goten couldn't stop the trembling in his body. There was nothing he wanted more than to see the sightless, faraway gaze into nothingness snap back to focus on him again. Even though he could feel the churning power of the enemy as he prepared to strike again—Trunks's interception had only been a temporary setback—Goten couldn't find it in himself to care. All he cared about was the disturbing dead weight in his arms, too heavy to be real. The gaping hole in his friend's chest. And those _eyes._ They weren't Trunks's eyes anymore. They held none of their usual depth, emotion, or intelligence.

That seemed to cement the horrible truth. Trunks was gone. He tore his gaze from the ghastly sight, unable to process it any longer, though his arms clutched the body even more tightly, of their own accord. Vaguely surprised that he hadn't been killed too—and a large part of him didn't _want_ to live in a world without Trunks—he looked up to see that Trunks's killer had been apprehended by his father and Vegeta. He'd been saved. The thought brought only a hollow sort of joy.

"You tried to harm my son?" Goku cried furiously, the Super Saiyan technique naturally ripping out of him.

"My son…" Vegeta's quieter but equally enraged reprise formed a bizarre harmony with Goku's, and he too released his Super Saiyan power.

Just as Trunks had. Goten looked down again through his blurred vision, paying little attention to the fight. Trunks had been so _brave._ He was so much braver than Goten, always, so sure of himself and determined to make the impossible possible. Turning Super Saiyan in the middle of being pierced like that, when he must've been in so much pain that it surely would have knocked a full-grown Super Saiyan right out of the energized transformation...all for him. All to save him. And now, his father and Trunks's father were risking their lives for his sake as well. Why did he always have to be the damsel? Why was everyone always sacrificing for him? And now this latest—Trunks… Goten almost wished he _had_ died; at least that way he wouldn't be a liability to everyone anymore. Everyone would be safer, better off without him.

He squeezed his eyes shut, which did nothing to stop the coursing tears. He felt a warm hand brush his wet cheek and his eyes flew open again, but there was no one there. Just the phantom of Trunks's comfort, brought on by grief and wishful thinking. Great, now Goten was losing his sanity too. Still, he could practically hear Trunks's reprimand: _"Don't even say that, Goten. No one would be better off if you died. If that was so, then my sacrifice was in vain. I'm not stupid. I don't care about people who don't matter."_

He was so proud. Had always been. It was true; he wouldn't have sacrificed himself for something that didn't matter in his estimation. But the things that _did_ matter, Trunks would sacrifice _everything_ for.

He heard footsteps and looked up again, surprised to see Goku and Vegeta beside him. The man who—who'd _done this_—was nowhere to be found. Considering Vegeta's satisfied smirk and the way he pulled on his glove smugly, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he'd probably blown the man to smithereens. Goku had fallen out of Super Saiyan and was kneeling by Goten in concern.

"Are you okay?"

Goten just looked at his father blankly, then at the sated face of Vegeta. He was anything but okay, but neither of them would understand. Goten knew it wasn't fair, but he felt a flash of resentment. Vegeta had never pretended to care about Trunks's welfare until now, only after Trunks was no longer able to see it! And with his achieved vengeance, his sadness seemed to dissipate. It was that easy for Vegeta: get angry, get revenge, get better. And his dad! For his dad, death had never been a big deal; he'd been around it so much, even been its victim twice, that he'd become immune to it, and with his happy-go-lucky personality that let everything slide off his back, he just didn't understand proper grief. It helped too that he'd conveniently entered the scene in time to save his _own_ son. Of course. He was always right on time when it came to his family, but didn't friends matter too?

Goten choked on a sob. He couldn't answer his dad's question in words, but that was answer enough.

"Maybe you should let go of his body," Goku said gently.

Goten shook his head furiously. He couldn't.

"Hmph. A touching display of affection." Vegeta crossed his arms, disgusted. "Don't be such a weakling, boy. People die all the time. I can't believe my son couldn't survive a whole decade without needing to get his useless self wished back, but life's full of little disappointments."

Deciding to ignore the words, Goten gently laid Trunks down and leapt to his feet. Wishing him back. Of course! He was still sad that Trunks had died at all, but they had the Dragon Balls. A renewed purpose was restored in Goten, and he feverishly worked alongside Goku and Vegeta to gather all seven. Nothing had ever seemed more important.

When the time came to make the wish, Goten danced from foot to foot impatiently and practically shouted to the dragon before it had even finished its speech, "Bring Trunks back! Please!"

Moments later, his friend stood before him, good as new, with the same cocky grin as always. Goten felt too many emotions surge inside him, which reconciled themselves into manifesting in a delighted laugh that bubbled from his lips as he ran to Trunks and tackled him.

"That was so scary! You shouldn't have done that!" It was an understatement. It was also all he could say.

Trunks just chuckled, ruffling Goten's hair. "Dummy."

* * *

Trunks woke up bright and early that morning and paced, trying to kill time before Goten woke. He knew how long Goten could sleep in on a good night, and he hoped that after that late-night call, it _had_ been. Remembering the contents of the call, he felt an involuntary shiver pass through him. It had felt so nice to admit…

What _had_ he admitted anyway? How much did Goten suspect? The suspense was killing him. To bring up an event that had happened, what, ten full years ago now, an event that honestly Trunks didn't give much mind to anymore, and then ask a question like that! Was Goten trying to unravel Trunks? Well, it was working.

He couldn't handle it anymore. Throwing caution to the winds, he unlatched his window and flew to the Son house. Not wanting to disturb the whole house so early in the morning, he made his way to Goten's bedroom window and peered in. Just as he'd suspected, sleeping like a baby.

Trunks smiled with fondness as he opened the window and let himself in. They did this all the time; Goten had even fixed a latch on the outside of his window to make it easier. That was just how comfortable with each other they were. Trunks frowned in contemplation. He wanted it to stay comfortable between them, didn't want to break the friendship or make Goten uneasy…but it really seemed like Goten was trying, in his passive, submissive way (that Trunks loved!) to make the first move and raise their relationship up to the next level. Could it be? Trunks hadn't even allowed himself to hope.

He sat on the edge of the bed near the gently snoring form, and after a moment, laid beside him, his hands behind his head. Goten snuggled closer, sensing the warmth of the body beside him. A few moments later, Goten's eyes slowly opened.

"Trunks?" He didn't sound surprised, just sleepy.

Trunks looked down with a grin. "I said we'd talk in the morning. It's morning now, sleepyhead."

Goten smiled back, but then his eyes widened and his face reddened. "Uh, Trunks, I…I think…I think I have a problem."

Concern was immediate. "What's that?"

Goten shook his head, too embarrassed to speak, and Trunks frowned.

"What _is_ it, Goten? Tell me."

"I just…don't want you to see. Under…under…"

_Under what?_ Trunks stared at his friend, perplexed. "Well, maybe you'll feel better once you get dressed and have some breakfast."

Goten squeaked a protest and tried to hold the covers down as Trunks yanked them off. Trunks's eyes widened as he saw the sticky mess Goten had made of his boxers and sheets.

"Oh man…" _Under the sheets._ Trunks recovered from his surprise and smirked. "Looks like someone had fun last night."

Goten cast his eyes down sheepishly. "You keep telling me to do things I don't want to do, and I'm finished obeying you, Trunks."

_What? _Where was this coming from? He knew he was bossy, but… "Sorry," he mumbled.

"You told me to eat breakfast…but I'm not hungry… _for food_," Goten said, looking directly at Trunks.

"You're not?" Trunks was a little confused, and wasn't he supposed to be the one in control?

"You tell me to talk, but that's not what I want to do right now. You tell me 'get dressed,' but I wanna do the opposite. You tell me to have good dreams, but I don't want to just dream anymore. I want to make it a reality."

Trunks felt like _he_ was dreaming. This was the most assertive he'd ever seen Goten. The most intense he'd ever heard him. And was he saying…No. Couldn't be. _Couldn't_ be. But how he hoped—!

Trunks licked his lips. "What do you want to do instead of talk?"

"Never lose you again," Goten replied. "Never take the time we have for granted again. Not waste it on 'if's and 'maybe's. Because life's too short for that." Goten's eyes filled with determined tears. It took so much effort for him to be the instigator, and Trunks had never felt more proud and grateful. "You showed me how much you care about me, and now I want to show _you._ That I care just as much."

"Show me," Trunks said hoarsely.

Permission was all Goten was waiting for before his hands began roaming Trunks's body, his tongue exploring his mouth, like he'd been waiting all his life.

Trunks felt pleasure and love fill him, but Goten was right. Now wasn't the time for talking, figuring things out with words. Now was the time to communicate with feelings. Feeling was enough. Nothing seemed more important.

In broad daylight, Trunks knew he wasn't dreaming. This was better than any dream.


End file.
